Things can only get better ..?

You will recall the anthem used at the 1997 General Election victory parade by Tony & Co.? Well, it's time to download it from iTunes once again, because we will need reminding eventually. However, it might be a few more months before it is actually viable, as we still have a way to go when exploring the depths of greed and stupidity of the world's leading banks over the "sub prime" affair.

Next time a banker of any sort tries on their usual air of sanctimonious superiority, feel free to remind them that just about everyone in their trade from the lowly doorstep loan salesmen to the chairmen of global banks have been proved to be at the very best stupid, and in many cases, probably criminally negligent.

The affair also highlights that even the vast, vast swathe of legislation that the industry and public have been forced to swallow over the past ten years of Enron and other "affairs" makes not a blind bit of difference. It is still perfectly possible for a string of stupid bankers to undermine entire economies; and as yet, no one has been charged with any criminal act. Hardly anyone has resigned.

The UK Bank of England and Chancellor's response has been generally regarded as clumsy at best; the loan from the taxpayer to Northern Rock is climbing up past £24bn, and now Gordon Brown is doing his bit to deflect attention from this and the incompetence of his very third division Home Secretary, by announcing a string of travel and other impositions on 99.9%of British subjects to try restrain the 0.1%.

Although it's being done in the holy name of anti-terrorist measures, it's also clearly now going to be about a fine mesh screening process coupled to just about every database in government that is designed to catch anyone who once put a tin can in a recycling bin marked "plastic", if they dare to travel on public transport or pay by credit card.

In response to the outcry, he may ease up on a few of the impositions, and we'll all think that "gosh, what a reasonable chap" he is.

Wake up.

There is still no evidence whatever to disprove the widely held view that he and his creaking administration have "lost it", and are now in terminal decline. Everything Brown talks about involves more control, more central databases and the continued erosion of liberty. No wonder he chews his nails.